Monday, March 02, 2020

The Huntsville Havoc to Host Nickelodeon Night Featuring SpongeBob SquarePants on Saturday, March 7, 2020

Huntsville, Alabama - The Huntsville Havoc has announced the sponge-tastic news that the professional hockey team will host a Nickelodeon Night Featuring SpongeBob SquarePants on Saturday, March 7, 2020! The ice hockey match, which see the Huntsville Havoc's take on the Evansville Thunderbolts, will take place at the Havoc's home arena, the Von Braun Center. Puck drops at 7:00 p.m.


Get your photo taken with SpongeBob SquarePants as the Havoc wear special SpongeBob-themed jerseys to benefit St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital.

It's Nickelodeon Night featuring SpongeBob Square Pants presented by Window World! Get your photo taken with SpongeBob SquarePants as the Havoc wear special SpongeBob-themed jerseys to benefit St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital. The evening is presented by Window World, WZYP.

Local teen Natalee Emerson, who recently completed 120 chemotherapy treatments for leukemia, along with her family will be at the game, with Natalee having the honor of dropping the puck to start the game!

Tickets to the game are available to purchase at http://huntsvillehavoc.pointstreaksites.com/view/huntsvillehavoc/tickets-331/single-game-tickets-41

More Nick: Nickelodeon Marks 20 Years of "SpongeBob SquarePants" with the "Best Year Ever"!

Additional source: Wikipedia.
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The Nashville Sounds Baseball Club to Host Nickelodeon Night Featuring SpongeBob SquarePants on Saturday, May 9, 2020

Nashville, TN – The Nashville Sounds Baseball Club has announced the sponge-tastic news that the professional baseball team will host a Nickelodeon Night Featuring SpongeBob SquarePants on Saturday, May 9, 2020! The game, which will see the Nashville Sounds take on the Round Rock
Express, will take place at First Horizon Park. First ball pitches at 6:35 PM.


Nashville Sounds' Nickelodeon Night Featuring SpongeBob SquarePants is part of a 2000s Weekend-themed weekend, beginning Friday, May 8th. As part of their celebration of the 2000s, the Sounds will wear Nickelodeon-themed jerseys featuring SpongeBob SquarePants on Friday and Saturday with a jersey auction scheduled for Saturday. The weekend forms part of Nashville Sounds' 2020 promotion schedule.

Single-game tickets will be available for purchase beginning Monday, March 9th at 9:00am at the First Horizon Park ticket office, online at www.nashvillesounds.com, or by phone at 615.690.HITS ext. 2.

More Nick: Nickelodeon Marks 20 Years of "SpongeBob SquarePants" with the "Best Year Ever"!

Originally published: Monday, March 2, 2020.

Original source: Clarksville, TN Online.
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Avatar: The Last Airbender: Iroh's Voice Actor Reveals Why He'll Never Perform 'Leave From The Vines'

Avatar: The Last Airbender crafted some of the best characters to ever appear on Nickelodeon, but the top award went to Iron. As an uncle and mentor to Prince Zuko, the elderly man spouted wisdom as often as he did jokes. His love for tea was only matched by his desire to see the world at peace, and much of his character came to life thanks to Mako Iwamatsu. The actor oversaw Iroh for a number of years, and the star's successor has revealed why he will never perform a song written to honor Iwamatsu.


Taking to Twitter, fans were given the lowdown when Greg Baldwin answered a fan-question about the song "Leaves From The Vine". The song was sung in one of the show's most memorable episodes. Iroh performed the song at the grave of his late son Lu Ten to celebrate the latter's birthday. To this day, "Leaves From The Vine" remains a favorite amongst fans, but Baldwin isn't interested in performing the song for fans.


For those who do not know, the song was included in Avatar: The Last Airbender as a memorial to Iwamatsu as well. The actor passed away in 2006 after doing the voice of General Iroh in the show's first two seasons. Before production on season three began, Iwamatsu passed away after fighting esophageal cancer for some time. He did manage to record this song before his death, and it has become one of the most defining parts of his legacy.

It is not surprising Baldwin declines the request to sing the song. Not only is it a difficult one to get through but it is deeply personal to Iwamatsu's death. No one can do the song just like the actor did, and fans are content listening to the song's original version for as long as they can.

Do you agree with the actor's stance here? Let me know in the comments below!

More Nick: Netflix to Host Open Casting Call for Live-Action 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' Series!

More Nick: Netflix to Host Open Casting Call for Live-Action 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' Series!

Original source: ComicBook.
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Nickelodeon Greenlights Third Season of Top-Rated Preschool Series 'Ryan’s Mystery Playdate'

Nickelodeon Greenlights Third Season of Top-Rated Preschool Series Ryan’s Mystery Playdate

20 New Episodes of Live-Action Series Created and Produced by pocket.watch to Begin Airing this Spring

Share it: @NickJr


NEW YORK--Feb. 24, 2020--Nickelodeon has greenlit a third season of the top-rated preschool series Ryan’s Mystery Playdate, starring eight-year-old YouTube superstar Ryan of Ryan’s World. Created and produced by pocket.watch, the studio creating global franchises from the YouTube stars and characters loved by Generation Alpha, the live-action series follows Ryan as he tackles a series of imaginative, physical challenges and solves mystery box puzzles to reveal the identity of his playdate. Ryan’s Mystery Playdate ranked as the number-one preschool series on all TV for 2019, and new season three episodes will begin airing this Spring. Ryan’s Mystery Playdate airs regularly weekdays at 12:30 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon and 4:30 p.m. (ET/PT) on the Nick Jr. channel.

The third season of Ryan’s Mystery Playdate (20 episodes) will feature a new-and-improved Guess-O-Tron and follow Ryan and his parents as they meet exciting all-new playdates, solve complex mystery box puzzles, tackle epic dunk tank and zip line challenges, and take super silly selfies with each guest.

A playable version of the tablet is one of more than 1,000 Ryan-related products available in 75,000 stores globally. Nickelodeon said that it and the rest of the Ryan’s Mystery Playdate tie-in toyline was the third largest new consumer product of 2019 (according to data from NPD).

Since its inception in 2015, Ryan’s World has grown to become one of the world’s largest YouTube channels in the world. The channel features fun and easy science experiments, educational content, animated adventures, imaginative toy play and videos that document daily life for the family of five, which includes Ryan’s younger twin sisters. The channel, along with other channels featuring Ryan and his family and animated friends, generated over 1.3 billion views in January 2020 and currently has over 34 million subscribers. A companion consumer products line developed by pocket.watch and Sunlight Entertainment, featuring Ryan and the universe of characters created by Ryan and his parents, launched nationwide in 2018 and was the third largest new consumer product that year, according to NPD.

The series was created by pocket.watch’s Chief Content Officer Albie Hecht and is Executive Produced by Hecht, Chris M. Williams, pocket.watch’s Founder and CEO, and Shion and Loann Kaji, Owners of Sunlight Entertainment and Ryan’s parents. Production of Ryan’s Mystery Playdate for Nickelodeon is overseen by Eryk Casemiro, Senior Vice President, Nickelodeon Preschool.

Pocket.watch is a new studio that specializes in entertaining and inspiring kids and families through digital-first content and sparking their imaginations with lifestyle products ranging from toys to toothbrushes. The company inspires kids to seamlessly move between screen time and playtime and boasts a growing portfolio of franchises that includes some of the largest kids and family YouTube brands in the world. Pocket.watch created and produces Ryan’s Mystery Playdate, which airs on Nickelodeon and is the #1 preschool show on television. The company was founded in March 2017 by Chris M. Williams and is located in Culver City, CA where it maintains an office and studio. Its management team is made up of studio veterans and visionaries from traditional and digital entertainment including Albie Hecht, Stone Newman, Jon Moonves, David B. Williams and Kerry Tucker. Investors and stakeholders include Viacom, Greycroft, Third Wave Digital and United Talent Agency (UTA), as well as notable strategic angels including Robert Downey Jr. (Team Downey) and Jon Landau with a significant stake in the company being held by ‘Ryan’s World’ creator Sunlight Entertainment. For more information about pocket.watch, please visit pocket.watch.

Nickelodeon, now in its 40th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The brand includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, location based experiences, publishing and feature films. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of ViacomCBS Inc. (Nasdaq: VIACA, VIAC).

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Update (2/3/2020) - pocket.watch and Shion Kaji of Ryan's World will be taking part in a discussion panel at the 2020 Licensing Leadership Summit!:

Influencers: Are They Delivering on their Brand Promise?

Date: Monday 16th of March
Time: 2:30 PM - 3:10 PM
Location: Mercury Ballroom
Duration: 40 minutes

SESSION DESCRIPTION

The influence of influencers is a hot topic. How much true ROI are they bringing to the table, given their exposure? No one can argue that one such influencer, Ryan Kaji of Ryan’s World (34.8B total views on YouTube) is delivering big time. With endless product lines at Walmart, Target and other big box retailers, along with content programming, hear from Stone Newman, CRO, pocket.watch and Shion Kaji, President, Sunlight Entertainment and Ryan’s father who will discuss how the two companies worked together to leverage Ryan’s star power to create a sustainable brand program that over delivers on its promises and challenges face along the way.

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From Forbes:

How Ryan’s YouTube Playdate Created An Accidental (Eight-Year-Old) Millionaire

The namesake star of Nickelodeon’s preschool hit Ryan’s Mystery Playdate appears on set in a bright orange space suit ready to embark on an imaginary interplanetary adventure with his parents.

With a snap of the clapboard his mother, Loann, offers up the skit’s opening line — “Spaceship to aliens...” — before her then-7-year-old cuts her off: “It’s ‘Mothership to aliens…,” her son corrects, stopping production and the 58-member TV crew behind it.

“Ryan, never correct the mother ship,” gently chides executive producer Jeff Sutphen from the director’s chair.

Ryan shrugs off the admonition. He routinely memorizes everyone’s lines, and will sometimes be caught on camera mouthing dialog along with his parents — forcing the occasional re-shoot. His father, Shion Kaji, jokes that if he hesitates even slightly with his delivery, he worries Ryan might steal his lines.

“I have a lot of words,” Ryan says in his own defense.

Not that he needs to defend himself. One of the leading child influencers on the planet, his Ryan’s World YouTube channel boasts 24 million subscribers, and Forbes estimates he earned $26 million in 2019, enough to make him the country’s highest paid YouTuber.

Kaji’s mindshare among preschoolers is so big that ViacomCBS network came running to him in its bid to stem the outflow of child viewers. Two years ago Nickelodeon turned to Pocket.watch, a digital studio devoted to turning YouTube stars into global franchises, to bring Ryan to the kids’ TV network that’s been home to such iconic children’s characters as SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer.

Welcome to the new world of children’s television. Once the domain of educators, pediatricians and psychologists concerned with fostering child development and school readiness, the D.I.Y. culture of the internet has thrown open the doors to anyone with an attention-grabbing idea. Sure, you can still find Big Bird on TV (though the feathery Sesame Street icon has moved his nest to HBO) and reruns of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood online. But those classics are getting crowded out by shows like JibJab’s Gregg and Evan Spiridellis, whose StoryBots monochromatic robot characters were born on YouTube and now live on Netflix, or the husband-and-wife duo, Derek and Cannis Holder, who created the popular YouTube channel Little Baby Bum, a collection of nursery rhymes.

These home-grown shows have attracted global audiences in the millions. “If you were a creator in the ‘80s, you'd walk into Nickelodeon and Disney and hope that the executive in charge of making decisions thought that you had something worthwhile,” says Gregg Spiridellis. “That person is no longer relevant if you're a creator with the ability to actually make something. You can put it out into the world and get validation. These open platforms — YouTube, Instagram — give you the opportunity to go prove the worth of your content in a way that was never possible before.”

A digital native, Ryan grew up on YouTube, singing along to nursery rhyme videos and watching “unboxing videos,” one of the peculiar genres of the platform, in which objects — toys, electronics, you name it — get unpacked to great fanfare. The breakout began one spring day when Ryan, age 3, asked his mother: “How come I’m not on YouTube?”

On a lark, Loann drove him to Target and bought a Lego Duplo train set, which Ryan unpacked in his first “unboxing” video. Shot on an iPhone without edits, attention to lighting or animation, the video looks painfully amateurish today. Her son loved them, though, and so did family members in Vietnam and Japan, who enjoyed watching him grow up from a distance. “YouTube was this great platform for us to broadcast Ryan’s growth,” Shion recalls.

A single video changed the trajectory of the home-movie project and thrust the Kajis into the vanguard of YouTube’s burgeoning tribe of family vloggers. A student of the new medium, Ryan had noticed a novel twist to the unboxing genre, which featured kids cracking open giant eggs with multiple toys, instead of ripping open one box at a time.

The Kaji version became “GIANT Lightning McQueen Egg Surprise,” a seven-minute video, in which Ryan is roused from his Lightning McQueen race-car bed to extract toy cars, trucks and airplanes of various sizes from a giant red egg. The resulting video has been watched more than 1 billion times. Suddenly they found themselves accidental successors to TV legends like Fred Rogers, Sesame Street creators the Children’s Television Workshop (now the Sesame Workshop) and Muppet-maker Jim Henson.

“After four months, we were one of the top kids’ creators,” says Shion, in an interview conducted from the family’s 9,000-square-foot production facility in Texas. Still, as improbable as it seems, no one in the family thought about cashing in on all that traffic until Loann stumbled upon a post about monetization while seeking tips on improving the quality of the videos.

“I was like, ‘Hon, you can make money on YouTube.’ Shion’s response, recalls Loann, was ‘Are you sure?’”

She was, and she set a goal of $20 a week, enough to cover the cost of buying a new toy for Ryan to unbox each week, like a never-ending birthday celebration. When the first check arrived, for $100, “I was so proud,” she says. It was nothing, in retrospect: By the fall of 2016, the charismatic 4-year-old with an infectious smile and affinity for Thomas & Friends trains and cars had amassed an online following of 4 million subscribers.

Shion and Loann quit their day jobs that year and devoted themselves full-time to the family’s budding media empire. They hired a video editor so they could focus on that aspect of production they enjoyed most: spending time with Ryan, playing around and filming. To shelter their son from burnout, they drew inspiration from Japan’s Virtual YouTubers, which feature anime-style cartoon characters who attract sizable online followings. The Kajis created animated alter-egos like superhero Red Titan (Ryan drew the stick-figure prototype himself), and an adventurous alligator, Gus the Gummy Gator. Today they have a roster of six virtual “friends” for Ryan, each depicting a facet of his personality.

As the output expands, so does the team. Twenty-eight animators, video editors and other creatives working for the family’s production company, Sunlight Entertainment, now generate the steady flow of educational videos, kid-friendly science experiments and cartoons that populate the eight channels that comprise Ryan’s World.

It’s not been a completely smooth ride, all things considered. The consumer watchdog Truth in Advertising filed a complaint last August with the Federal Trade Commission, accusing the Kajis’ YouTube channel, previously known as Ryan ToysReview, of deceptive advertising, saying it’s difficult for preschoolers to discern Ryan's “innocent antics” from paid endorsements. The complaint cited as an example one June 2019 video, in which Ryan operates a make-believe Hardee’s drive-through window and delivers a “Star Pals” meal to his father. It’s the same month that the fast food chain announced a toy promotion featuring Ryan.

The regulatory agency hasn’t announced any public action against the YouTube channel, though this month the FTC said it would begin reviewing its guidelines concerning influencer marketing on social media, potentially ensnaring the Kajis and other online influencers in a cultural and political scrum over the commercialization of childhood.

Shion says he welcomes direction from regulators and works with a legal team to help identify online content that’s advertising. “The one thing that was very difficult for all the influencers (is) there was no clear guidance from FTC until recently,” he says.

Sorting it all out will be critical to keeping the millions flowing, even as Shion and Loann strive to balance the demands of Ryan’s budding entertainment career with their desire to give their son the life of a typical elementary-school kid. He attends public school and maintains a crowded calendar of after-school activities that includes playing Fortnite and Roblox with friends online, swimming (he’s perfecting his backstroke), computer coding, Taekwondo (he’s working toward earning a green belt) and gymnastics, where Ryan’s kinetic energy is expressed through headstands and flips.

In a room surrounded by scores of toys that bear his image, the child phenomenon reflects about the quirks of internet celebrity, and how complete strangers will approach him, and call him their best friend.

“They're like ‘Ryan I saw you on my iPad and your mom and dad on my iPad too,’” Ryan says, nervously tugging on the long sleeves of his green shirt and swiveling back and forth on an office chair. He says he’s found it easy to make friends at school. “Some knew me just from who I am. Some people know me from YouTube.”

Put him in front of a camera, though, and he comes alive. Posing for photos, he offers up a fresh expression with every shutter click, sporting a big grin and thumbs up, an eye roll with a tongue out, another confidently grinning with arms folded, poking a finger at the lens, shrugging. It may be a hint of things to come. At the end of his first season on Nickelodeon, he penned a thank-you note to the director.

“Next season,” he wrote. “I want to direct, too.”


Ryan Kaji attends Nickelodeon's 2019 Kids' Choice Awards with his parents, Loann and Shion. FILMMAGIC

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More Nick: Nickelodeon Upfront 2020 Roundup!

Originally published: Monday, February 24, 2020 at 16:56 GMT.

Press release via Business Wire (via Anime Superhero Forum /@Magitroopa); H/T: TheFutonCritic.com; Additional source: Tubefilter.
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Nickelodeon's 'All That'-Inspired Good Burger Pop-Up to Head to Chicago in 2020

Originally published: Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Chicago to Welcome a ‘Good Burger’ Pop-Up to Tap into Nickelodeon Nostalgia


Chicagoans will soon be able to visit the home of the Good Burger, drink an orange soda and live out their ’90s Nick Kid dreams at a new Chicago pop-up restaurant!

After a successful run in Los Angeles, the Good Burger pop-up inspired by Kel Mitchell's fast-food sketche on Nickelodeon's All That (and the beloved 1997 movie adaptation of the sketch) will make its way east to the city in 2020. Organizers haven't announced an exact location or an opening date yet, but that's not going to stop fans from getting stoked about finally trying Ed's secret-recipe special sauce for themselves!

Good Burger LA will end a three-month run on Sunday, September 29 with delivery continuing though December, according to a news release.

Reservation tickets can be purchased at https://www.goodburgerpopup.com/. Fans can follow the Good Burger experience on social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Update (2/3/2020) - ViacomCBS Consumer Products and Saved by the Max will be taking part in a discussion panel at the 2020 Licensing Leadership Summit!:

Feeding the Fans: Elevating IP Through Branded Dining Experiences and More

Date: Monday 16th of March
Time: 3:15 PM - 3:55 PM
Location: Mercury Ballroom
Duration: 40 minutes

SESSION DESCRIPTION

This session will delve into extending your brand through licensed dining experiences and restaurant pop-ups, all while delivering an authentic experience. The discussion will include recent category trends, the importance of social media, and case studies such as Beverly Hills 90210, Breaking Bad, Saved by the Bell and Star Trek for super fans and nostalgic audiences. Join Veronica Hart from ViacomCBS and Derek Berry, an innovator in the restaurant pop-up space, for this interactive discussion.


The nostalgic pop-up comes from the same team behind the Saved by the Bell-themed concept Saved by the Max, which turned a Wicker Park storefront into a neon-lit diner that served Bayside Burgers and Snack Attack sundaes throughout the latter half of 2016.

Derek Berry, a partner at Beauty Bar in West Town, created the officially licensed Saved by the Bell pop-up in 2016 and the restaurant exceeded expectations with a year run in Chicago. He brought the Max to LA in 2018 and it closed in April 2018. Good Burger launched in July as a tie-in to Nickelodeon's All That revival. The Max’s success inspired many Chicago bars to hold pop-ups based on nostalgic pop-culture properties.

Eggslut founder and celebrity chef Alvin Cailan consulted on the pop-up's menu, bringing dishes like the signature Good Burger and Good Chunks (honey mustard chicken tenders) to life. The menu also features an assortment of sides (Good Fries, Good Rings, Good Pickles, Good Salad), desserts (Good Shakes, Good Pies, Good Cookies) and several orange soda-inspired cocktails. It’ll also features a meat-free Beyond Meat burger.

Cashiers also greet customers with Ed's iconic catchphrase, “Welcome to Good Burger, home of the Good Burger, can I take your order?”.

Cailan has experience with pop-culture properties as he developed Blue Apron’s burger kits themed after Fox’s animated series Bob’s Burgers.

Visitors may visit to try the food, but they'll want to stick around for photo-ops inside of the recreation of a locale that they likely last experienced on a standard definition television set. When the event launched in L.A., the space even included an old-school arcade with all games set to free-play mode. Throughout its run, All That cast members, including Kel Mitchell (aka Ed the Good Burger Guy) and Nick Cannon showed up for surprise appearances. Though neither detail has been confirmed for the Chicago run, fans are hoping Chicago native Mitchell swings by his old stomping ground for a visit.

While pricing hasn't been been announced for the Chicago location yet, at the L.A. incarnation of the pop-up, a $30 ticket included one signature Good Burger menu item, a side and a commemorative paper hat just like the one Ed always wore. Additional entrees, desserts, milkshakes and boozy cocktails can be ordered à la carte, so there's no need to worry about going home hungry.

The pop-up was designed by multi-disciplinary artist Floyd A. Davis IV who states “The goal of the design is to create a connection between the nostalgic visual legacy of Good Burger’s iconic past forms, and the updated aesthetic of the new season of Nickelodeon’s All That.”

The Saved by the Max space is currently occupied by Dorian’s, a restaurant/bar that hosts live music and run by Berry’s business partner Zack Eastman. Eastman (who also owns the East Room) and Berry also partnered with Steve Harris, the veteran Chicago bar owner behind Debonair Social Club. The team recruited chef Brian Fisher to create the menu for the Saved by the Bell pop-up. Fisher, who presides over Michelin-starred Entente, isn’t involved with Good Burger.

Eggslut was founded in LA in 2011 and now has four California locations and one in Las Vegas, with plans for Japan, London, and Kuwait. The restaurant specializes in egg sandwiches on fresh biscuits. There’s been rumblings of a Chicago expansion, so this move may intensify those rumors.

Good Burger started as a sketch on the TV show All That before Hollywood adapted it into a 1997 movie. The premise involved characters who work at a fictional fast-food restaurant. In the movie, Mitchell’s character, Ed, develops a beloved secret sauce that distinguishes Good Burger from the competition. The sketch frequently featured Kenan Thompson, the comedian who’s spent 16 years on Saturday Night Live — the series’s longest-tenured cast member - with Thompson also co-starring as Ed's co-worker in the theatrical.

The team’s success in working with NBC and Saved by the Bell has made an impression in Hollywood. Berry has moved to LA with his family, and when the LA crew behind a Beverly Hills, 90210 pop-up needed help, CBS hired Berry to spruce up the Peach Pit.

Check out video and photos from L.A.'s Good Burger pop-up and stay tuned for additional information about its Chicago debut, including opening date, dude.



Photograph: Michael Juliano


Who loves orange soda? | Photograph: Stephanie Breijo


The signature Good Burger | Photograph: Stephanie Breijo


Photograph: Stephanie Breijo


Photograph: Michael Juliano


Photograph: Stephanie Breijo


Photograph: Stephanie Breijo


Photograph: Stephanie Breijo


Kel can take your order. | Photograph: Stephanie Breijo


The Beyond Meat vegan Good Burger lettuce wrap | Photograph: Stephanie Breijo


Yes, these are Kel Mitchell’s real shoes. | Photograph: Stephanie Breijo


Photograph: Stephanie Breijo


The Good Chunks chicken tenders | Photograph: Stephanie Breijo


Photograph: Stephanie Breijo


The All That revival is now available to watch on Nickelodeon!

More Nick: Nickelodeon Teases 'Bikini Bottom Experience'!

Sources: Time Out Chicago, Eater Chicago; Additional sources: Wiktionary, Google, Kidscreen.
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Reading with Friends Playlist | Thomas & Friends UK

“Reading with Friends” is designed to highlight the exciting and heart-warming tales featuring important life lessons for children that have remained at the heart of Thomas & Friends, since the books were first created in 1945, when the first “Railway Series” written by Reverend W. Awdry was published.

"Thomas and the Dinosaurs" read by Peter Andre | Reading with Friends | Thomas & Friends UK


"Thomas the Tank Engine" read by Harry Judd | Reading with Friends | Thomas & Friends UK


"Happy Birthday" read by Spencer Matthews | Reading with Friends | Thomas & Friends UK


Join Thomas, James, Percy, Emily and all of your favourite engine friends as they embark upon endless adventures on the Island of Sodor! Based on a series of children's books, "Thomas & Friends" features Thomas the Tank Engine adventures with other locomotives on the island of Sodor. Thomas often gets into trouble, but never gives up on trying to be a really useful engine. Other members of Sir Topham Hatt's Railway include: Percy (Thomas' best friend), and Gordon (the fastest and most powerful member of the team).

Watch Thomas & Friends: Big World! Big Adventures! on Milkshake!

Connect with Thomas & Friends Online: Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Nickelodeon: No Current Plans to Release 'It's Pony' Pilot

Nickelodeon’s latest animated series It’s Pony premiered on Saturday, January 18 and instantly became a firm favorite with fans. The debut episode scored the network’s biggest animated series launch since 2018’s The Adventures of Kid Danger, posting solid double-digit gains over last year with Kids 2-11 (2.1/453K, up +24%) and Kids 6-11 (1.9/250K, +27%). The Saturday morning premiere (Jan. 18 at 11:30 a.m.) also drew 959,000 Total Viewers. And, the series ranked as TV’s #2 animated telecast for the week with Kids 2-11, behind only SpongeBob SquarePants.


With It’s Pony becoming an instant hit, fans have been asking Ant Blades, the creator of the series, whether there are any plans to release the original It’s Pony short, which was made as part Nickelodeon’s 2015 International Animated Shorts Program. However, Ant has revealed that there are unfortunately no plans to release the show's pilot, saying on Twitter "No plans to, I'm afraid." Ant does remain optimistic, however, closing his Tweet with "One day :)".

Nickelodeon Animation has, in recent years been releasing shorts from its world-renowned Animated Shorts Program on social media, such as YouTube and Facebook. A collection of shorts can be found here. It would be fantastic if Nickelodeon Animation could release the It’s Pony pilot as part of its Animated Shorts Program collection at one point in the future!

It’s Pony (originally titled Pony) is an original 2D-animated buddy comedy that follows the life of an average girl named Annie, her (almost) average family, and what happens when an enthusiastic, unpredictable and carefree talking pony comes to live with them in their city apartment.

Throughout the season, the series will explore the everyday life and hijinks of two best friends whose optimism and enthusiasm turn any situation from ordinary to extraordinary. Whether making an epic quest down the street to mail a letter, heroically saving the local playground with a bake sale, or simply getting a haircut, Pony and Annie always stick together because life is better as a pair.

The series stars Jessica DiCicco (Adventure Time) as Annie, an optimistic and determined farm girl living in the city with her family and best friend Pony; Josh Zuckerman (Strange Angel) as Pony, who is naïve and impulsive, but loves Annie more than anything; Abe Benrubi (E.R.) as Dad, who treats Pony as a nuisance, but recognizes the special bond he shares with Annie; and India de Beaufort (All Hail King Julien) as Mom, who loves Annie and Pony’s relationship and always has a new project in the works.

Additional cast members bringing characters to life include: Kal Penn (Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle) as Annie’s friend Fred; Bobby Moynihan (Saturday Night Live) as Annie’s friend Brian; Rosario Dawson (Rent) as Annie’s school principal Ms. Ramiro; Mark Feuerstein (Royal Pains) as the landlord Mr. Pancks; Megan Hilty (Smash) as the too-obsessed-with-Pony friend Beatrice; Yvette Nicole Brown (Drake & Josh, Victorious) as Mrs. Dunscomb; Grey Griffin (Fairly OddParents, Danny Phantom, The Loud House, El Tigre, Wow Wow Wubbzy, As Told by Ginger, Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Mighty B!, Rugrats, The Simpsons) as Henrietta; John DiMaggio (Sanjay and Craig, The Loud House, Futurama, Adventure Time) as Dave the Sewer Worker and Tomatopalooza Judge; and Dee Bradley Baker (SpongeBob SquarePants, Legends of the Hidden Temple, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Gravity Falls, Star Wars: The Clone Wars) as Dog.

The first animated comedy series to be greenlit for the U.S. from Nickelodeon International, It’s Pony is created by Ant Blades, based off a short of the same name from Nickelodeon’s 2015 International Animated Shorts Program.

It’s Pony airs Saturdays on Nickelodeon USA and will roll out internationally beginning April 2020.


More Nick: Nickelodeon Launches Animation 'Intergalactic Shorts Program'!

H/T: Know Your Meme.
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Jennika Goes Solo with All-New 'TMNT' Comic Series from IDW

Originally published: Monday, November 18, 2019.

Jennika Goes Solo with All-New TMNT Series
Beginning in February

The Breakout Star of IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Will Headline a Comic Book Miniseries in 2020


SAN DIEGO, CA (November 11, 2019) – The ongoing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book from IDW Publishing (OTC: IDWM) has achieved resounding acclaim from fans and critics alike on the march to its 100th issue. Now, in the aftermath of the cataclysmic “City at War” storyline, the newest addition to the team will step into the spotlight in a three-issue miniseries, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Jennika!!

Written and illustrated by Brahm Revel (Guerillas), who previously shed light on the character’s mysterious origins in IDW’s TMNT Universe series, the miniseries finds Jennika still trying to acclimate to life as a mutant. Drawn into conflict with a never-before-seen villain, she embarks on a journey that forces her to face her troubled past and conflicted present!


Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Jennika - Cover A

“Jennika has always been a fascinating character, and her story is now moving in directions none of us could have ever anticipated,” says Revel. “I’m very excited about the opportunity to revisit Jenn’s past and explore how she’s been handling the recent changes in her life, all while being tested by a world that’s changing just as rapidly as she is.”

Editor Bobby Curnow says, “Brahm has a fantastic knack for revealing character through adversity. With the Jennika miniseries, he’s digging deep into what makes this fan-favorite character tick, all in a fast-moving and accessible story. I’m also excited for people to see the back-up stories from up-and-coming creators that will be featured in every issue.”


Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Jennika - Retailer Incentive Cover

TMNT: Jennika #1 will be available with a main cover by Brahm Revel, plus two Retailer Incentive variant editions by talented newcomer Jodie Nishijima and Freddie Williams II (Batman/TMNT), respectively.

For information on how to acquire copies of the new TMNT: Jennika miniseries by Brahm Revel or the ongoing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series by Sophie Campbell, please contact your local comic shop or visit www.comicshoplocator.com to find a store near you.

From ScreenRant:

TMNT: Meet The New Female, Punk-Rock Loving Turtle

Cowabunga! The next evolution is here—the punk-rock lovin’, mosh-pit brawlin' heroine in a half-shell debuts in Jennika: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!


Cowabunga! The next evolution is here — the punk-rock lovin’, mosh-pit brawling heroine in a half-shell makes her uproarious debut in Jennika: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a three-issue miniseries starring the original IDW character. The premier issue of Jennika: TMNT delivers two brand-new turtle-tales, the expositional “The Cure for You,” from Brahm Revel and “Time and Again,” an endearing short from Ronda Pattison. The search for the cure is on in Mutant Town, as the rapscallion collides with bad seeds and ex-lovers at mutant hardcore dive, the Kennel Klub, in the nostalgic first issue of Jennika: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

In 1984, Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo crawled out the sewers and into the aquarium-hearts of untold legions with the monumental publication of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from Mirage Studios. Named for famous Renaissance artists and trained in the martial arts by their sensei Master Splinter, an anthropomorphic rat, the turtles are transformed by mutagenic ooze into the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Eastman and Laird’s turtle-empire has spawned countless comics and strips, six full-length feature films, live and animated television series, turtle toys, video games, and a roleplaying game. After the franchise moved to Nickelodeon in 2009, IDW Publishing secured the right to reprint old adventures and publish the ongoing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book series.

Under IDW, publisher of such franchise properties as Marvel Action, Star Wars Adventures, My Little Pony, Dungeons and Dragons, and Transformers, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have traveled through time and to Dimension X, teaming up with Batman, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Ghostbusters, and Usagi Yojimbo in dozens of special crossover events. During those IDW adventures, the Turtles encountered Jennika, a human runaway skilled in the martial arts, first as the villain Shredder’s head assassin and member of the ancient ninjutsu clan, the Foot and, later, under Master Splinter’s tutelage. When Jennika was wounded by an insurgent Karai, Shredder's second-in-command, intent on regaining control over the Foot, a transfusion of Leonardo’s lifesaving blood mutated her into a turtle. Now, the newest Turtle grapples with both her troubled past and the tensions brewing across Mutant Town in Jennika: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a three-issue miniseries from IDW.

While the 1997 “Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation,” live-action television series introduced a female counterpart to the Turtles, Venus de Milo, it would be another 23 years before TMNT would introduce the comic book “Belle of Shell.” Jennika, the next progression in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles dynasty, cut her teeth on the mean streets of New York City and now she’s thwarting evildoers in her own dojo, Mutant Town. After mutation transfigures the entire community around her into sheep, dogs, rabbits, and other animals, the self-appointed shogun of the mutant zone earns the praise of some citizens and the ire of others. To let off steam, Jennika cracks shells to the sounds of punk-rock darlings Bat Brains, Rabid, the NYC Dogs, at the Kennel Klub, a tongue-in-cheek reference to legendary acts and the infamous Kennel Club, a hotspot in Philadelphia punk rock scene. At the Klub, the She-Devil in a Half-Shell relives her tempestuous youth in NYC punk scene, reigniting rivalries and romances from a time-gone-by and busting heads in the mosh pit. When a former flame hints at a cure to the mutation gripping the community, the assassin-turned-ally sees a light at the end of the tunnel, in the new Jennika: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from IDW Publishing.

Jennika: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles slices and dices her way into comic shops this week!

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More Nick: First Look at 'Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1'!
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon and Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles News and Highlights!

Karisma Hotels & Resorts Looking to Open Nickelodeon Resort in Cartagena, Colombia

Originally published: Thursday, December 22, 2016.

Update (2/3/2020) - Karisma Hotels & Resorts' has confirmed plans to open a Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts resort in Cartagena, Colombia!

Update (14/6/2019) - According to EL UNIVERSAL, Karisma Hotels & Resorts' plans to open a Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts resort in Cartagena, Colombia haven't been finalised yet, however, they are still interested in opening a Nick-branded resort in the North of Cartagena!

Update (6/10/2019) - Karisma Hotels & Resorts hope to have the financial arrangements for Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Cartagena in place in 2020!

Update (10/12/2019) - Rafael Feliz, chairman and CEO of Karisma Hotels & Resorts has revealed to TravelPulse the Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts brand’s Latin America debut could be either Brazil or Colombia. In Colombia, Feliz told TravelPulse to expect a Nickelodeon near Cartagena. He said the Brazil location will be near Rio de Janeiro!

Karisma Hotels & Resorts has announced plans to open a brand-new Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts resort in Cartagena, Colombia! Rafael Feliz, CEO of Karisma, made the exciting announcement during the Karisma Hotels & Resorts' 9th Annual Gourmet Inclusive Vacation Consultant Awards and Sales & Marketing Forum.

Room rendering at Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana (Photo: Business Wire)

The news follows the successful opening of Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, Karisma and Viacom International Media Networks' (VIMN) first Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts resort, which opened to critical acclaim this summer, and boasts a life-sized replica of SpongeBob's Pineapple home which guests can vacation in.

Nickelodeon Jacuzzi Pad (PRNewsFoto/RCI)

Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Cartagena will be Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts' first destination in Central and South America, and will be home to the new family brand's first hotel outside of the Caribbean and Mexico. Feliz told Travel Agent Central that the property is expected to open roughly three years from now (2019/2020).

In 2015, Feliz and Lubo Krstajic, the company’s Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, told Travel Agent the plan was to expand Nickelodeon Hotels to Central and South America with destinations such as Brazil; Cartagena, Colombia; and Panama being heavily discussed. With Cartagena now confirmed, it is quite possible that either Brazil or Panama could be Nickelodeon's second destination in Latin America.

From EL UNIVERSAL:

Hoteles de Karisma en Cartagena tienen nuevo gerente general

Tras confirmar la designación de Pierre Bonin como gerente General de sus operaciones en los hoteles Allure Chocolat, Bonbon y Canela, en Cartagena, la cadena Karisma Hotels reveló que hay interés de abrir su primer resorts en Colombia y los destinos que se exploran son la Zona Norte de Cartagena y la isla de Barú.

Bonin es de origen francés y tiene una amplia experiencia en el sector turístico.

La nueva propuesta de Karisma en Cartagena llevaría la marca Nickelodeon y la decisión se tomaría al final del semestre.

Karisma Hotels & Resorts (KHR) fue creada en el año 2000 y posee un portafolio de 15 marcas. A la fecha administra 31 propiedades en 6 países (México, República Dominicana, Jamaica, Colombia, Croacia y Montenegro), con 3.500 habitaciones.

Sus tres hoteles en Cartagena suman 121 habitaciones y están dirigidos a clientes del segmento de reuniones, para los amantes de estancias largas y para los amantes del turismo cultural. Genera en la ciudad más de 100 empleos directos.

###

From La República:

“El próximo año llegaremos a Cartagena con el Nickelodeon Resort”: Karisma Hotels & Resorts

La estrategia de Karisma está enfocada en la operación de ‘branded hotels’, enfocada en la relación estrecha que tiene con Margaritaville y Nickelodeon

La cadena de hoteles y resorts Karisma, con presencia en Cartagena, continúa su expansión en América Latina y el Caribe con la apertura este año del resort de lujo Margaritaville Island Reserve Riviera Cancún by Karisma.

LR habló con Diego Jaramillo, director general de Karisma Hotels & Resorts Latam sobre las nuevas aperturas de la compañía y los planes de expansión en Colombia.

LOS CONTRASTES

GUSTAVO TOROPRESIDENTE EJECUTIVO DE COTELCO

“El sector hotelero en Colombia sigue creciendo, gracias al aumento en el número de turistas internacionales que llegan a nuestro país y a la recuperación del sector”

¿Con cuánto esperan cerrar en materia de ingresos en 2019?

El presupuesto de ventas para toda la cadena es de US$400 millones y, aunque este año el turismo del Caribe se ha visto fuertemente impactado por eventos externos, vamos a cerrar en una cifra de ventas muy cercana a lo esperado y con una ocupación promedio de alrededor de 80%.


La estrategia de Karisma está enfocada en la operación de ‘branded hotels’, enfocada en la relación estrecha que tiene con Margaritaville y Nickelodeon

María Alejandra Ruiz Rico - mruiz@larepublica.com.co

La cadena de hoteles y resorts Karisma, con presencia en Cartagena, continúa su expansión en América Latina y el Caribe con la apertura este año del resort de lujo Margaritaville Island Reserve Riviera Cancún by Karisma.

LR habló con Diego Jaramillo, director general de Karisma Hotels & Resorts Latam sobre las nuevas aperturas de la compañía y los planes de expansión en Colombia.

LOS CONTRASTES

GUSTAVO TOROPRESIDENTE EJECUTIVO DE COTELCO
“El sector hotelero en Colombia sigue creciendo, gracias al aumento en el número de turistas internacionales que llegan a nuestro país y a la recuperación del sector”

¿Con cuánto esperan cerrar en materia de ingresos en 2019?

El presupuesto de ventas para toda la cadena es de US$400 millones y, aunque este año el turismo del Caribe se ha visto fuertemente impactado por eventos externos, vamos a cerrar en una cifra de ventas muy cercana a lo esperado y con una ocupación promedio de alrededor de 80%.

ADVERTISING

inRead invented by Teads
¿Cuáles son las metas para 2020?

Desde el punto de vista de nuevos hoteles, esperamos la apertura del Margaritaville Island Reserve en Riviera Cancún y de Nickelodeon Riviera Maya. Tendremos también, entre 2020 y 2021, la apertura de otros dos hoteles Margaritaville, uno en Riviera Maya y otro en Jamaica; todos ellos operando bajo nuestro galardonado concepto Gourmet Inclusive. Y desde el punto de vista del compromiso con el medio ambiente, continuaremos con la implementación de nuestros planes de sostenibilidad. Ya hemos ejecutado la sustitución de botellas plásticas de un único uso en nuestros hoteles de México, acción que también tendremos implementada en Colombia para el primer trimestre del 2020.

¿De qué se trata el concepto de la nueva apertura?

Nuestro próximo lanzamiento es el Margaritaville Island Reserve en Riviera Cancún, un producto enfocado en familias que están en búsqueda de un estilo de vida relajado y de lujo y que esperamos esté en servicio para la temporada de Año Nuevo. Después vendrá el Nickelodeon Riviera Maya, México, un resort con 280 habitaciones dentro de las que se incluyen suites temáticas, como la de Bob Esponja, la de Las Tortugas Ninja y otros personajes de este canal; el hotel debe estar en funcionamiento en diciembre del 2020 y contaremos con el parque de agua más grande de la Riviera Maya.

¿Cuánto invirtieron en este nuevo proyecto?

En el proyecto Margaritaville Island Reserve, que tiene 148 habitaciones, Karisma invirtió cerca de US$10 millones en la remodelación de uno de nuestros hoteles ya existentes. En relación con Nickelodeon, como cadena hotelera nosotros somos los expertos en la conceptualización del hotel, así como en el diseño de las experiencias culinarias y de entretenimiento para nuestros huéspedes, las inversiones son realizadas por nuestros socios de negocios e inversionistas, quienes controlan los montos de inversión.

¿Y hay nuevos planes de expansión en Colombia?

Siempre, si bien las aperturas que tenemos más próximas están en México, Jamaica y en República Dominicana, estamos fuertemente concentrados en que Colombia y Brasil sean los próximos países que Nickelodeon llame su hogar.

Actualmente, estamos en el proceso de estructuración del primer Nickelodeon Resort que habría en Colombia. Sería en Cartagena y esperamos tener cierre financiero del proyecto en 2020.

¿Tendrán nuevas alianzas?

El objetivo de Karisma es continuar nuestro plan de expansión soportado en las alianzas que ya tenemos con reconocidas marcas del mundo del entretenimiento como Nickelodeon, MTV, VH1, y Comedy Central, entre otros. En tal sentido, más que tener nuevas alianzas, estamos trabajando conjuntamente con nuestros socios actuales.

Hoteles que son una atracción familiar

Hay dos hoteles de Nickelodeon. Actualmente uno está en operación en Punta Cana en República Dominicana con 208 habitaciones y otro en proceso de construcción en la Riviera Maya. Son resorts Gourmet Inclusive, donde se logra un equilibrio entre el entretenimiento para niños y la indulgencia, y el lujo para sus papás. Para niños, tiene experiencias inspiradas en el canal, desayunos con los personajes (Bob Esponja, Paw Patrol, Dora La Exploradora y Las Tortugas Ninja), Slime Time, espacios de fotos con los personajes, Club de niños y un parque de agua.

###

From Noticias de turismo REPORTUR:

Karisma llevará la marca Nickelodeon a Cartagena

La cadena hotelera Karisma estaría en proceso de estructuración del primer Nickelodeon en Cartagena, Colombia, y esperan que esté incluido en el cierre financiero de 2020. Igualmente, buscan abrir otro hotel de la misma marca en Brasil. Próximamente tendrán la apertura del Margaritaville Island Reserve en Riviera Cancún y el Nickelodeon Riviera Maya.

“Actualmente, estamos en el proceso de estructuración del primer Nickelodeon Resort que habría en Colombia. Sería en Cartagena y esperamos tener cierre financiero del proyecto en 2020. Tendremos también, entre 2020 y 2021, la apertura de otros dos hoteles Margaritaville, uno en Riviera Maya y otro en Jamaica; todos ellos operando bajo nuestro galardonado concepto Gourmet Inclusive”, dijo a La República Diego Jaramillo, director general de Karisma Hotels & Resorts Latam.

En cuanto al presupuesto de ventas de la hotelera, Jaramillo comentó al mismo medio: “El presupuesto de ventas para toda la cadena es de US$400 millones y, aunque este año el turismo del Caribe se ha visto fuertemente impactado por eventos externos, vamos a cerrar en una cifra de ventas muy cercana a lo esperado y con una ocupación promedio de alrededor de 80%”.

De acuerdo a Jaramillo, el objetivo de Karisma es continuar el plan de expansión soportado en las alianzas que ya tienen con reconocidas marcas del mundo del entretenimiento como Nickelodeon, MTV, VH1, y Comedy Central, entre otros. “En tal sentido, más que tener nuevas alianzas, estamos trabajando conjuntamente con nuestros socios actuales”, explicó Jaramillo.

El próximo lanzamiento es el Margaritaville Island Reserve en Riviera Cancún, un producto enfocado en familias que están en búsqueda de un estilo de vida relajado y de lujo. La apertura será a final de año. Luego abrirán el Nickelodeon Riviera Maya, México, un resort con 280 habitaciones dentro de las que se incluyen suites temáticas, como la de Bob Esponja, la de Las Tortugas Ninja y otros personajes de este canal; el hotel debe estar en funcionamiento en diciembre del 2020 y contará con el parque de agua más grande de la Riviera Maya.

Como informó REPORTUR.co, Karisma Hotels en Colombia desde 2018 planea traer la marca Nickelodeon, luego de México y Brasil. Además la hotelera quiere desarrollar la marca Irotama fuera Santa Marta, en destinos como Cartagena, Eje Cafetero y la Sabana de Bogotá. Igualmente, proyecta incursionar en el mercado corporativo del país, así lo anunciaba la marca en su momento. (Karisma Hotels planea traer la marca Nickelodeon a Colombia).

“Queremos traer el segundo Nickelodeon para la región en Brasil, – luego del mencionado en México- y esperamos que, en el primer trimestre del próximo año, tengamos algo ya más definido para tener programas de construcción específicos con fechas. El tercer Nickelodeon queremos que sea en Colombia y estamos buscando alternativas de dónde podría ser”, indicó Jaramillo en su momento.

###

From América Retail:

Colombia: “El próximo año llegaremos a Cartagena con el Nickelodeon Resort”

La estrategia de Karisma está enfocada en la operación de ‘branded hotels’, enfocada en la relación estrecha que tiene con Margaritaville y Nickelodeon

La cadena de hoteles y resorts Karisma, con presencia en Cartagena, continúa su expansión en América Latina y el Caribe con la apertura este año del resort de lujo Margaritaville Island Reserve Riviera Cancún by Karisma.

LR habló con Diego Jaramillo, director general de Karisma Hotels & Resorts Latam sobre las nuevas aperturas de la compañía y los planes de expansión en Colombia.

¿Con cuánto esperan cerrar en materia de ingresos en 2019?
El presupuesto de ventas para toda la cadena es de US$400 millones y, aunque este año el turismo del Caribe se ha visto fuertemente impactado por eventos externos, vamos a cerrar en una cifra de ventas muy cercana a lo esperado y con una ocupación promedio de alrededor de 80%.

¿Cuáles son las metas para 2020?
Desde el punto de vista de nuevos hoteles, esperamos la apertura del Margaritaville Island Reserve en Riviera Cancún y de Nickelodeon Riviera Maya. Tendremos también, entre 2020 y 2021, la apertura de otros dos hoteles Margaritaville, uno en Riviera Maya y otro en Jamaica; todos ellos operando bajo nuestro galardonado concepto Gourmet Inclusive. Y desde el punto de vista del compromiso con el medio ambiente, continuaremos con la implementación de nuestros planes de sostenibilidad. Ya hemos ejecutado la sustitución de botellas plásticas de un único uso en nuestros hoteles de México, acción que también tendremos implementada en Colombia para el primer trimestre del 2020.

¿De qué se trata el concepto de la nueva apertura?
Nuestro próximo lanzamiento es el Margaritaville Island Reserve en Riviera Cancún, un producto enfocado en familias que están en búsqueda de un estilo de vida relajado y de lujo y que esperamos esté en servicio para la temporada de Año Nuevo. Después vendrá el Nickelodeon Riviera Maya, México, un resort con 280 habitaciones dentro de las que se incluyen suites temáticas, como la de Bob Esponja, la de Las Tortugas Ninja y otros personajes de este canal; el hotel debe estar en funcionamiento en diciembre del 2020 y contaremos con el parque de agua más grande de la Riviera Maya.

¿Cuánto invirtieron en este nuevo proyecto?
En el proyecto Margaritaville Island Reserve, que tiene 148 habitaciones, Karisma invirtió cerca de US$10 millones en la remodelación de uno de nuestros hoteles ya existentes. En relación con Nickelodeon, como cadena hotelera nosotros somos los expertos en la conceptualización del hotel, así como en el diseño de las experiencias culinarias y de entretenimiento para nuestros huéspedes, las inversiones son realizadas por nuestros socios de negocios e inversionistas, quienes controlan los montos de inversión.

¿Y hay nuevos planes de expansión en Colombia?
Siempre, si bien las aperturas que tenemos más próximas están en México, Jamaica y en República Dominicana, estamos fuertemente concentrados en que Colombia y Brasil sean los próximos países que Nickelodeon llame su hogar.

Actualmente, estamos en el proceso de estructuración del primer Nickelodeon Resort que habría en Colombia. Sería en Cartagena y esperamos tener cierre financiero del proyecto en 2020.

¿Tendrán nuevas alianzas?
El objetivo de Karisma es continuar nuestro plan de expansión soportado en las alianzas que ya tenemos con reconocidas marcas del mundo del entretenimiento como Nickelodeon, MTV, VH1, y Comedy Central, entre otros. En tal sentido, más que tener nuevas alianzas, estamos trabajando conjuntamente con nuestros socios actuales.

Hoteles que son una atracción familiar
Hay dos hoteles de Nickelodeon. Actualmente uno está en operación en Punta Cana en República Dominicana con 208 habitaciones y otro en proceso de construcción en la Riviera Maya. Son resorts Gourmet Inclusive, donde se logra un equilibrio entre el entretenimiento para niños y la indulgencia, y el lujo para sus papás. Para niños, tiene experiencias inspiradas en el canal, desayunos con los personajes (Bob Esponja, Paw Patrol, Dora La Exploradora y Las Tortugas Ninja), Slime Time, espacios de fotos con los personajes, Club de niños y un parque de agua.

###

From El Universal:

Cartagena sería sede del primer hotel Nickelodeon en Suramérica

Dentro de los proyectos que tiene de expansión Karisma Hotels & Resorts en América Latina, a uno le podrían dar prioridad y se empezaría a desarrollar en los próximos años.

Se trata de un nuevo hotel, construido desde cero, de la franquicia del famoso canal de televisión infantil y juvenil, el cual sería el primero en su formato en Suramérica, y tendría como sede la ciudad de Cartagena.

Así lo anunciaron las directivas de Karisma Hotels & Resorts que se encuentran participando en la Vitrina Turística Anato que se realiza hasta este viernes en Bogotá.

Esta cadena hotelera que opera más de 30 hoteles en distintas partes del mundo y cumple 20 años de desarrollo, ya cuenta con un primer hotel Nickelodeon que se encuentra en Punta Cana, República Dominicana y en pocos meses espera tener listo uno más en la Riviera Maya en México y que supera las 380 habitaciones.

Sus creadores aclaran que si bien es un hotel de temática infantil, está diseñado para que pueda ser disfrutado por toda la familia, con las atracciones que tienen que ver directamente con los personajes principales del canal, como Bob Esponja, Dora La Exploradora y las Tortugas Ninja, pero a la vez, con espacios como el spa y zonas de relajamiento para los más adultos.

Son hoteles de grandes dimensiones que mueven un alto número de huéspedes diarios, bajo el concepto gourmet-all inclusive, que han desarrollado con gran éxito en sus hoteles en México y República Dominicana pero que aún no logran realizar en Colombia.

A finales de 2018 realizaron un primer intento con una unión con Irotama en Santa Marta. El ambicioso proyecto incluía convertir a dicho hotel al concepto de gourmet-all inclusive, que consiste en un ‘todo incluido’ pero con restaurantes de alto nivel y atención personalizada para los huéspedes. Además, Karisma ayudaría para que Irotama se convirtiera en una marca para desarrollar otros proyectos hoteleros, tanto dentro como fuera del país.

Sin embargo, la unión duró poco y a principios de 2019, de común acuerdo, terminaron con dicho convenio.

Aunque el interés de Karisma por desarrollar pronto el Hotel Nickelodeon Cartagena es muy fuerte, también planean realizar uno igual en una de las regiones de Brasil. Solo bastaría ver cual de las dos ideas primero se empieza a desarrollar.

Cartagena es una ciudad que conocen bien. Allí operan hoteles como Allure Chocolat by Karisma, ubicado en el corazón de la ciudad y a solo unos pasos del centro de convenciones.

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Cartagena acogerá el primer hotel Nickelodeon en Suramérica

Cartagena acogerá el primer hotel de Nickelodeon en Suramérica. Así lo han anunciado las directivas de Karisma Hotels & Resorts, la cadena que explota los hoteles de esta marca, durante la pasada edición de la feria Anato en Bogotá. La franquicia del famoso canal de televisión infantil y juvenil cuenta ya con un establecimiento en Punta Cana (República Dominicana) y en pocos meses espera tener listo uno más en la Riviera Maya en México que supera las 380 habitaciones.

Sus creadores aclaran que si bien es un hotel de temática infantil, está diseñado para que pueda ser disfrutado por toda la familia, con las atracciones que tienen que ver directamente con los personajes principales del canal, como Bob Esponja, Dora La Exploradora y las Tortugas Ninja, pero a la vez, con espacios como el spa y zonas de relajamiento para los más adultos, publica El Universal (Riviera Maya: hotel Nickelodeon no abrirá hasta finales de 2020).

Se trata de hoteles de grandes dimensiones que mueven un alto número de huéspedes diarios, bajo el concepto ‘ourmet-all inclusive’, que han desarrollado con gran éxito en sus hoteles en México y República Dominicana pero que aún no logran realizar en Colombia, aunque en 2018 realizaron un primer intento con una alianza con Irotama en Santa Marta que no llegó a final término.

Karisma operan hoteles en Cartagena como el Allure Chocolat by Karisma, ubicado en el corazón de la ciudad y a solo unos pasos del centro de convenciones. La cadena también tiene previsto llevar la marca Nickelodeon a Brasil.

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From Travel Pulse:

Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Is Heading to Colombia

A report in Reportur says that Karisma Hotels & Resorts is planning a new outpost of the popular, family-friendly brand in Cartagena. It will be the third property for the brand and the first in South America.

Nickelodeon’s second property will open this year in the Riviera Maya. It will have 350 guestrooms designed for families and multigenerational groups.

The resort chain is known as much for providing younger guests the chance to interact with their favorite television characters as it is for its high-end family experience.

Guests will be wowed by five-star accommodations, food and amenities as well as by character breakfasts and Nickelodeon-themed attractions that include SpongeBob Squarepants and Dora the Explorer.

Few details are known about the Cartagena location of the hotel; however, the Riviera Maya property will feature Gourmet Inclusive eateries, themed accommodations and one of the area’s largest waterparks.

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From Portal de Turismo:

Cartagena acogerá el primer hotel Nickelodeon de Sudamérica

Directivas aseguraron que la marca traerá propuestas para toda la familia.

Las directivas de Karisma Hotels & Resorts, la cadena que explota los hoteles de la marca Nickelodeon, anunció durante la pasada edición de la feria ANATO 2020 en Bogotá que la franquicia del famoso canal de televisión infantil y juvenil abrirá su primer hotel temático en la ciudad de Cartagena en Colombia, convirtiéndose en el primero de Sudamérica. Según lo publicado por el portal Reportur, la cadena ya cuenta con un establecimiento en Punta Cana (República Dominicana) y en pocos meses espera tener listo uno más en la Riviera Maya en México que supera las 380 habitaciones.

Del mismo modo, sus creadores explicaron que si bien es un hotel de temática infantil, está diseñado para que pueda ser disfrutado por toda la familia, con las atracciones que tienen que ver directamente con los personajes principales del canal, como Bob Esponja, Dora La Exploradora y las Tortugas Ninja, pero a la vez, con espacios como el spa y zonas de relajamiento para los más adultos.

Además, determinaron que se trata de una cadena de hoteles de grandes dimensiones que mueven un alto número de huéspedes diarios, bajo el concepto ‘gourmet-all inclusive’, que han desarrollado con gran éxito en sus hoteles en México y República Dominicana. De esta manera, manifestaron que estiman que el proyecto a desarrollar en Cartagena tendrá una gran acogida por el público y anunciaron que también tienen previsto posteriormente llevar la marca a Brasil.

Cabe resaltar que la cadena Karisma opera diferentes hoteles en Cartagena como el Allure Chocolat by Karisma, ubicado en el corazón de la ciudad y a solo unos pasos del centro de convenciones.

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Additional sources: Google Translate, Wikipedia.
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